Norwich jewellers sets trend with till-free shopping environment

Fourth Avenue, a fashion jewellery lounge, has stopped using tills to make sales, and equipped all of its staff with an iPad which features transaction technology ‘Lifestyle’ from Pursuit, meaning staff can create a more relaxed environment for customers to purchase.

The shop has been fitted with comfy sofas and lounge chairs – with drinks on offer – to produce a relaxed, friendly and engaging atmosphere.

The staff mobility aspect offers a distinct advantage at seasonal selling peaks when the retail space is crowded. Staff members can position themselves wherever the customers are, and having to queue at a counter has become a thing of the past.

Pursuit Software managing director Mike Burns thinks that the software will revolutionise the business.

He said: “With Lifestyle, the point-of-sale – the till – is wherever the customer happens to be in the retail space. Staff members are free to mingle with customers instead of having to hover in the proximity of the counter.

“A till-free environment is the obvious way to go. Fourth Avenue represents the new breed of retailer. Being till-free creates opportunities for new concepts in retail environments.”

Mr Burns also thinks that the rise in the sales of tablet computers is going to prove pivotal in the race to provide a great, customer-friendly experience.

“Consider the rapidity with which the iPad has become a consumer must-have. No consumer product has ever had a faster rate of mass uptake. And its utilisation as a sales tool is gathering momentum across the entire retail spectrum,” he added.

“Jewellers who fail to embrace iPad technology will be left behind – by retail as a whole, and by jewellers who are faster on their feet.”